Ventilating back-rest



Pate'ntved Nov. l5, I898.

.L F. WEST. VENTILATING BACK REST.

(Application led Aug. 23, 1597.)

(Nq I-lodel.)

z .w w e m gf c n www PETERS cn. Pnoroumo., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES JENNIE FREW WEST, OF GILMAN, ILLINOIS.

VENTILATING BACK-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,153, dated November15, 1898.

Application led August 23, 1897. Serial No. 649,136. (No model.)

T a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J ENNIE FREW WEST, of Gilman, in the county ofIroquois and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Chair Attachments; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

The invention relates to improvements in seat or chair attachments, andit has more particular relationto Ventilating backrests for railwaycar-seats.

It will be understood from the following description and claim,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1represents a perspective view of the device embodying my inventionapplied in posit-ion. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical sectionthrough the same.

1 in the drawings represents the back of rthe car-seat, 2 the seatproper, and 3 my improved back-rest. This latter comprises a frame 4,having approximately the form of a yoke or pendent U-shaped loop,provided at the upper ends of its arms with hooks 5,

f7-adapted to be placed over the top ot' the back l. Said frame 4supports an auxiliary frame 6 of any suitable material, said latterframe having its respective sides and ends connected by horizontal andvertical interlaced and spaced strips 7 of any suitable flexiblematerial. Said frame 6 is further provided upon its back withspring-strips 8, each of which has its respective ends rmly secured toone of the vertical portions of said frame 6, being held away from thelatter by a plurality of coil-springs 9, interposed between said stripsand the rear sides of the vertical portions of the frame 6.

It will be observed by the foregoing description that when applied inposition upon a car-seat the lower loop portion or cross-bar` of theyoke will extend down between the rear of the seat 2 and the lower frontedge of the back l and thus be held firmly in posi-` tion, the hooksettectually supporting said frame.

I preferably connect the upper portions of the frame 4 bya suitableiiexible head-rest l0:

When my improved device is applied in po sition, it will be observedthat the interlaced portions 7 will be held some distance away from theupholstered back l under a spring tension, so as to leave a spacebetween said portion 7 and the back for the entrance of air. By thismeans a perfect circulation between the respective portions 7 and behindthe same is secured at all times. This is par ticularly desirable inwarm weather, when the upholstered backs of the seats become veryuncomfortablebecause of the heat confined by the same upon the travelerleaning against them. The flexibility of the frame further provides forabsorbing all vibration which may be thrown upon the device because ofits connection with the back l.

I do not care to limit the application of my invention to car-seatsalone, as the same may be aptly employed in connection with chairs ofall types and especially upholstered fura niture. The device could alsobe applied as a back-rest for invalids by extending the frame 4 andhooking the hooks over the head of the bedstead.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a removable, Ventilating back-rest, the combination with the U-shapedframev or yoke having integral hooks on the ends of its arms forengaging the back of the seat, of the Ventilating back-rest frame propersecured to said yoke, a Ventilating-cover on said back-rest frame,spring-strips substantially parallel with the yoke-arms and secured attheir ends to the back-rest frame, and springs interposed between saidstrips and back-rest frame for holding the latter normally away fromsaid strips intermediate their ends, and thereby from the seat to whichthe back-rest is applied, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JENNIE FREW WEST.

Witnesses: l

WILLIAM J. DICK, FRANKLIN L. WEST.

